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A Curious Thing is the second album by Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald, and was released on March 8, 2010.[1] The album's lead single, "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" (containing the The Jam cover "Town Called Malice" as b-side), was released on March 1, 2010.[2][3]
The album was confirmed in late 2009, and the album's title and track listing was confirmed in January 2010.
Background
Macdonald began writing songs for her second album in spring 2009, in a brief break from her touring commitments. For the first time she began poring through her old notebooks, looking at song ideas, unlike her debut which consists mainly of songs that she wrote straight away.[4] Many of the tracks were inspired by real-life personalities or events from her everyday life. She wrote "Spark" for murdered toddler Jamie Bulger, after watching a TV program on his murder.[2] "What Happiness Means To Me" is dedicated to her footballer fiancé Steve Lovell[2], while "An Ordinary Life" is inspired by the "Z-list celebs" she saw flocking around Scots-born Hollywood actor Gerard Butler at a party he held in Glasgow late 2009 to mark the opening of his film Law Abiding Citizen.[4] There is also a track about Michael Jackson and one dedicated to her late grandparents.[2] The tracks were recorded at Weller's BlackBarn Studios in Surrey.[1]
Reception
The album has garnered generally positive reviews. Paul Lester of BBC Music gave the album a glowing review, calling it "a triumphant return" and went on to add that "it is a bold, grand statement of intent, full of songs of epic sweep that build to undeniable choruses, to be enjoyed by the largest possible audiences". He also praised Macdonald's vocal performance comparing it to the likes of Dolores O'Riordan and Sinead O'Connor.[5] MusicOMH's Jenni Cole complimented Macdonald's songwriting ability, stating that her lyrics "display a maturity way beyond her years, which she marries to a wistfulness the most hardened bluesman would envy". She continued by saying that "her songwriting (in both style and substance) recalls the early days of Kirsty MacColl, while her deeper vocals have more in common with Alison Moyet. It's a match made in heaven."[10] Ian Sime of The Press noticed that the record "is very similar in feel and approach to its predecessor and should appeal to those who enjoyed This Is The Life" and that it has "an earthy rock edge comparable to Travis, Keane and The Killers."[12] Sarah-Louise James of the Daily Star commented on Macdonald's voice: "her galloping guitar pop-rock and husky Celtic voice combo sounds richer, bigger and more confident than on her monster debut"[8], while Simon Gage from Daily Express hailed the album's lead single Don't Tell Me That It's Over, saying that it "sets a furious pace with guitars and drums that frame her strong, slightly Irish-sounding voice" and concluded by stating that "the rest of the album follows suit with songs that stand up on their own, even without Amy’s obvious talent as a singer."[7]
Meanwhile, Caroline Sullivan and Neil McCormick of The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph respectively, both gave the album favourable reviews, however they agreed that it doesn't really manage to stand out. Sullivan spotted that the "heartfelt, songwriterly tunes ... burrow into your consciousness but somehow fail to register on a deeper level"[9] and McCormick felt that it is lacking "anything truly distinctive or original to lift her above the massed ranks of young singer-songwriters."[6] The Times's Kaya Burgess did not share the other reviewers' excitement about the lyrics, saying that they "don’t quite match the striking power of Macdonald’s vocals", however she observed that "when the melodrama and crashing drums fade away on the piano-led What Happiness Means to Me we glimpse the soul behind the big voice."[14]
On the other hand, Noel Gardner of the NME gave the album a mixed review, saying that it is "a more predictable thing that you'd imagine" and felt that it was too "Scottish", in the sense that its "folkish Ford Mondeo pop upholds the nation’s legacy of pleasantly anthemic drivetime belters.[11] Finally, Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman gave the album a negative review, stating that the artist "seems to take a step backwards on her second album with an anachronistic 1980s sound and predictable lyrics about the pressures of fame (An Ordinary Life), the perils of hype (Next Big Thing) and the culture of image-over-talent (This Pretty Face)."[13]
Track listing
| 1. |
"Don't Tell Me That It's Over" |
3:15 |
| 2. |
"Spark" |
3:07 |
| 3. |
"No Roots" |
4:30 |
| 4. |
"Love Love" |
3:17 |
| 5. |
"An Ordinary Life" |
3:36 |
| 6. |
"Give It All Up" |
2:55 |
| 7. |
"My Only One" |
3:32 |
| 8. |
"This Pretty Face" |
3:57 |
| 9. |
"Troubled Soul" |
4:46 |
| 10. |
"Next Big Thing" |
3:30 |
| 11. |
"Your Time Will Come" |
4:32 |
| 12. |
"What Happiness Means to Me" |
4:53 |
| 13. |
"Dancing In The Dark" (Hidden live track - Starts at mark 6:02 of Track 12) |
3:18 |
Deluxe edition
Personnel
- Mixed by - Danton Supple
- Producer, Arranged by - Pete Wilkinson
- Written by, Vocals, Guitar - Amy MacDonald
Charts
| Chart (2010) |
Provider |
Peak
position |
Certification |
Sales/
shipments[17] |
| German Albums Chart |
IFPI/Media Control |
|
Gold [18] |
100,000+ |
References
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